Telephone-mouthpiece disinfectant



J. FERGUSON AND W. H. BENNETT.

TELEPHONE MOUTHPIECE DISINFECTANT.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 25, 1921.

1,390,896. PatentedSept. 13, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES FERGUSON AND WILLIAM H. BENNETT, OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

TELEPHONE-MOUTHPIECE DISINFEGTAN '1.

Application filed February 25, 1921.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES FERGUSON and WlLLIAM H. BnNNn'r'r, citizens of the Dominion. of Canada, residin. at Vancouver,

in the Province of British golumbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone Mou th iece Disinfectants, of which the following 18 a specification.

This invention relates to a means providing for effectively disinfecting the moutlr piece of a telephone, the same being simple in construction, easily applied and direct and lasting in its effect.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings 'by'which it is accompanied, in which: a

Figure 1 is a perspective view and part 20 section of the essential part of the device.

Fig. 2, a similar view of the retaining ring by which the disinfecting device is held within the mouthpiece, and

Fig. 3 shows the application of the device to the mouthpiece of a telephone, which is shown in section.

In these drawings 2 re n'esents the mouthpiece of the telephone. Vithin this mouthpiece 2 is fitted a corres ondingly shaped liner 3 of a suitable absorbent material, such as Cgypsum.

his liner 3 is retained. in position in the mouthpiece 52 by a ring t, the outer ed e of which fits over the outside edge of the mouthpiece 2 and is flanged across the face of the mouthpiece and its liner.

From the edge of 4 portions 5 backwardly project which may be readily bent inward over the edge of the mouthpiece to hold the ring thereagainst and retain the liner in the mouthpiece.

This absorbent liner ll impregnated with a suitable liquid disinfectant, such as creosol, that will destroy iy disease germs or bacteria that may aiiect a lodgment on.

the mouthpiece.

The liner may be oi any suitable mate rial but preferably molded of gypsum to which other ingredients are added to enable to it to set harder and be more durable in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

Serial No. Mans.

handling the bushings are liable to be subjected to. If the composition contains, say, ninety per cent. of gypsum the remaining ten per cent. may be composed of dextrin, alum,

sulfate of zinc, horror, and glue, all of which are intended to effect the hard setting of the gy sum and render it more durable.

. lthough we have described the composition of a suitable material to form an effective liner, we do not desire to be confined to such com sition, but claim a liner as de scribed 0 any composition that will have the required absorbent properties to retain a sufiiciency of the disinfectant and part with it slowly, and that will have sufiicient strength to enable a relatively thin lining to be used with a retaining means that will ex ose the entire inner surface of the liner.

if care is taken in the selection of the disinfectant, sufficient will be retained in. the liner to render it effective for from thirty to forty days, and as the liner 3 is enduring, its disinfecting properties can be replenished for a further period.

Not only does the device provide an enduring and renewable means for disinfecting the mouthpiece, but its disinfecting prop erties do not depend. on emanations aloneas the entire mouthpiece is lined with a dlsinfooting surface.

. Having now particularly described our 1nvention, we hereby declare that what we claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is:

A disinfecting means for a telephone mouthpiece, comprising the combination with it of a thin lining of plaster-like absorbent material conforming to the inner surface of the mouthpiece, which lining is impregnated with an enduring antiseptic, and a ring adapted to fit the outer edge of the mouthpiece and flanged in the plane of its outer edge to engage and retain the lining, said ring having backwardly rejecting portions adapted to be bent aroun the outer ed e and retain a hold of the mouthpiece.

n testimony whereof we afllx our signatur i JAMIE S FERGUSON.

W'IllllLInM H. BENNETT. 

